NCAA appeals Sorsby gambling injunction before season
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- NCAA filed legal documents in Lubbock County District Court asking an appeals court for an expedited resolution by Aug. 28 — one day before the college football season kicks off
- NCAA attorneys argued the injunction "obliterates the status quo" and invites athletes nationwide to challenge NCAA discipline in court, noting recent rulings already cite the case as precedent
- Brendan Sorsby placed more than 9,000 bets totaling at least $90,000 over three years while at Indiana, Cincinnati, and Texas Tech, including at least 40 wagers involving his own team, though the NCAA found no evidence he manipulated his performance or shared inside information
- Judge Ken Curry's injunction allowed Sorsby to play after sitting out the first two games, contingent on continued addiction treatment for his diagnosed gambling and anxiety disorders
- Texas Tech faces boycott calls, a Big 12 lawsuit, and letters from at least four state attorneys general over the Sorsby eligibility dispute, which the NCAA says forces opponents into "an impossible choice"
Why it matters: The NCAA's Aug. 28 deadline is a legal landmine: if the appeals court doesn't rule in time, Sorsby plays and the injunction becomes a de facto permanent outcome, while a reversal would vindicate the NCAA's argument that eligibility discipline must stay out of courts — a precedent already being cited in other cases.
